Knitting mechanism



Sept. 19, 1933. H. E. HOUSEMAN KNITTING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 27, 1931 P 1933- H. E. HOUSEMAN 1,927,568

KNITTING MECHANISM Filed March 27, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 19, 1933 KNITTING MECHANISM Harold E. Houseman, Edge Moor, Del., assignor to Standard-Trump Bros. Machine Company, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application March 27, 1931. Serial No, 525,683

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in r0.- tary knitting machines and, in the specific embodiment herein disclosed, to improvements particularly applicable to the. machine illustrated in the application of Wilbur L. Houseman, Serial Number 511,949, filed January 29, 1931.

' The machine illustrated in the Wilbur L.

Houseman application just referred to is adapted to produce split foot stockings and involves the provision of two feeds both of which are active during the formation of split fabric. Specifically, the needle cylinder carries two semicircular series of needles, needles having long butts constituting one series, and needles having short butts the other with the exception of the two end needles which have butts of intermediate length. During the formation of the rotary knit leg of a stocking, one feed, arbitrarily designated the instep feed, is active, feeding yarn to all of the needles. During the formation of the high splice and foot portions of the stocking, the long butt'needles take yarn and form the instep at the instep feed, and the short butt needles take yarn and form the back and sole portions of the stocking intermediate butt needles take yarns at both feeds and thereby provide the sutures. Manipulation of yarns at the instep feed effect the production of desired patterns.

The above operation requires at each of the feeds two stitch cams to move the needles during the formation of loops. So long as rotary knitting at one feed takes place, as in the formation of the leg, only one stitch cam is in action and effects the formation of loops in all of the courses. Accordingly uniformity of fabric is achieved.

However, when reciprocatory knitting occurs, as in the formation of the high splice or foot, there is likely to occur not only non-uniformity in stitches formed at each feed but also in stitches formed at the two feeds relatively to each other. If no corrective adjustments are provided, these deviations from uniformity occur due not only to uneven wear on the cams but also to the use of yarns of different weights in difierent portions of the stockings, this last factor being particularly present in the case of the sole feed where in general at least three yarn changes are made. Accordingly the object of the invention may be broadly stated to relate to the provision of suitable stitch balancing devices for not only adjusting the stitches at each feed so that uniformity is achieved during reciprocation, but also for ad.-

justing the stitches at both feeds relatively to at the other feed, known as the sole feed. The

each other.

sinkers.

Specific objects of the invention relating particularly to subsidiary details of construction will become apparent from the following description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the sinker cap together with the means at both feeds for tilting sinkers;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the sinker tilting means 5 associated with the sole feed;

Fig. 3-is an elevation of a sinker associated with short butt needles;

, Fig. 4 is an elevation of a sinker associated with long butt needles shown in association with parts coacting therewith, the parts being in section;

Fig. 5 is a plan View of the needle cylinder raising mechanism; and

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic developed internal view of the needle cams, the sinker tilting cams and needle deflecting cams.

Only such portions of the knitting machine are illustrated as are necessary to an under standing of the invention. Reference may be 0 made to the Wilbur L. Housman application re-' ferred to above for details of the various mechanisms. A portion of the frame of the machine is illustrated at 2 this frame providing, as is usual, a suitable journal for the needle cylinder 35 indicated at 4, the needle cylinder being vertically movable without interference with its rotation for purposes of adjustment as will be hereafter brought out. The needle cylinder carries the usual independent needles 5. Associated with the needle cylinder is the sinker dial 6 surmounted by the usual sinker cap carrying cams 8 and 10 adapted to impart to the sinkers suitable radial movements for the formation of stitches at the instep and sole feeds respectively, the location of these feeds being indicated by the yarn fingers l2 and 14 in Fig. 1. Located at the instep and sole feeds are the needle cams designated generally by 16 and 18 in Fig. 6. These sets of cams include the stitch cams 20 and 22 at the instep feed and 24 and 26 at the sole feed. Since during rotary knitting the needle cylinder revolves in a counter clockwise direction as viewed in plan, the cam 20 is that by which stitches are drawn during the knitting of the leg of a stocking. For reasons which will be pointed out later the stitch cam 20 extends lower than stitch cam 22 so as to depress needles further. I

Located at the instep feed and bearing the angular relationship to the instep cams illustrated 119 The balancing is effected by. tilting of short butt needles on their other side.

in Fig. 6 is the rocker or lever 28 provided with a horizontal radially extending rib 30 on its lower side arranged to bear upon the sinker cam ring to which the lever is secured by a screw 32 tapped into the sinker cam ring and passing with-slight play through the lever 28. On the opposite sides of the rib 30 the lever 28 carries adjusting-screws 34 which may be manipulated to vary the angular position of the lever 28 and maintain it in such position by engagement with the sinker cam ring. At its end above cam 22, the lever 2 carries the sinker tilting cam 38.

As has been already indicated the needle cylinder carries three diiferent types of needles including two opposed needles having intermediate length butts, a series of long butt needles on one side of the intermediate butt needles and a series Associated with the short butt needles are sinkers illustrated in Fig. 3 while associated with the long butt needles are sinkers 42 illustrated in Fig. 4. The intermediate butt needles may be associated with sinkers of either of these types.

The sinkers 40 and 42 are similar to those shown in my Patent 1,539,568, May 26, 1925, being provided with lower edges as illustrated at 41 and 43 each formed by two straight portions intersecting at an angle to form a fulcrum point. Since the sinkers are carried by' plane faces of the sinker dial it follows that depression of the inner or outer ends of' the sinkers will effect rocking or tilting thereof. The sinkers 40 associated with the short butt needles are provided with butts 44 adapted to be engaged by the sinker cams in the usual fashion. However, these butts are cut away at their extreme outer ends as shown at 46 so as to miss engagement with the cam 38 at the instep feed which, as shown in Fig. 1, is of quite small radial extent. The sinkers 42 associated with long butt needles are provided with the usual butts 48 of full radial extent soas to be engaged by the cam 38. The sinker cap is provided with a cam edge 50 which except when sinkers are being tilted, engages the sinkers inwardly of their fulcrum points to hold them down.

Means are provi ed at the sole feed for tilting sinkers at that point also. At this feed upstanding brackets 52 support a shaft 54 to which is secured an arm 56- carrying a. sinker tilting cam 58 located relatively to the cams '24 and 26 as illustrated in Fig. 6. The shaft 54'at its opposite end carries an arm 60 while journalled thereon isanother arm 62 held upwardly in engagement with an adjustable stop screw 64 by a spring 66 reacting between the arm 60 and the lever 62. The lever 62 carries a cam 68 adapted to engage the butts of sinkers to tilt them. Rocking of shaft 54' to effect tilting of the sinkers is effected through the medium of a vertical arm 70 secured thereto and depending therefrom. A spring '74 urges this arm inwardly to a normal position determined by engagement with the frame-of an adjustable stop screw 72 tapped into the arm 70. The arm 70 is rocked against the tension of this spring .74 by the engagement with adjustable follower screws 76 carried thereby of suitable cams '18 on the main cam disc of the machine 79.

Associated with the needle cams are presser levers 80 and 82 designed to engage jacks through which they effect flexure of the needles at the instep feed whereby selective plating and reverse .plating are produced for the production of patterns as fully described in the Wilbur L. Houseman application referred to. The angular positions of these pressers are indicated in Fig. 6 in relation to the stitch cams and the sinker tilting cams.

As also illustrated in the Wilbur L. Houseman application there is provided means for effecting vertical movement of the needle cylinder at the proper times, this means being illustrated in Fig. 5 and comprising upright pins 84 adapted to engage either the needle cylinder or a bearing member therefor so that upon their vertical movement the needle cylinder is correspondingly moved. The lower ends of these pins rest upon a lever 86 which is rocked by engagement therewith of an adjustable screw 88 carried by a lever 90 oscillated through the medium of suitable cams on the main cam disc 79 which engage the adjustable follower screws 92 secured in the lever 90. Downward movement of the lever 86 is limited by the adjustable stop screw 94 carried 95 by a fixed part of the frame.

During rotary knitting, as occurs during the formation of the leg, the needle cylinder rotates in a counterclockwise direction, all of the needles taking a yarn or yarns from the fingers 12 at the instep feed and forming stitches whenthey are lowered by" the stitch cam 20.

Since at this time the sinkers are moving normally, that is' with their inner ends lowered, the lengths of loops drawn at the instep feed are determined entirelyby the amount of depression of the needles by the cam 26. As pointed out above, this cam depresses needles to a greater extent than cam 22 does upon reverse move-- ments of the needle cylinder. 19

During rotation no knitting takes place at the sole feed. Upon reciprocation only the long butt and intermediate butt needles take yarn-at the instep feed, the cams 20 and 22 being partially withdrawn so that the short butt needles move past this feed without taking yarn. Likewise only the intermediate and short butt needles take yarn at the sole feedsince the long butt needles are raised by the deflector cams so that-thein butts move above the various cams at this feed. 12a

, During counterclockwise reciprocation lowering of the needles by cam 20 completely determinesthe size of the loopsformed in the same manner as indicated above. In a clockwise reciprocation, however, the cam as and cam 22 by tilting the sinkers and depressing the needles respectively together determinethe size of the loopsformed during such movement. It will now be seen that in orderto secure the same size loops-in adjacent courses it is necessary to adjust the lever 28 with respect to the run-down lengths of cams 20 and 22 so that tilting of the sinkers at cam 22 will make-up for differences in: depression of needles at the two cams. This is in gen 0 eral very advantageous since the cam 20 receives far more wearthan cam 22 and a simple adjustment of the lever 28 from time to time will avoid. the necessity for removing the cams and grind; ing them into uniformity, the cam20 being made sufliciently lower than cam 22 to provide for much wear. A uniform fabric is therefore readily insured. I

During such reciprocation it is not desirable to tilt the sinkers associated with the short butt needles so as to avoid raising the stitches thereon as they passtheinstep feed. Accordingly the butts of the sinkers 40 are cut away as indicated" at 46 so that they escape engagement with cam 38. It will now be seen that the provision of a single sinker tilting cam 38 will sufllce to 'provide-suitable stitch drawing at the instep feed "since the cam 20 may be initially made longer than the cam-22. Conditions similar to those indicated above apply to the sole feed where the cams 58 and 68 may be relatively adjusted through the medium of the adjusting screw 64.-

this case itdoes no harm to tilt the sinkers associated with long butt needles inasmuch as the needles are raised "and the loops will be brought down into proper position when the needles 'are lowered to take yarns at the instep feed.

I This effect of balancing stitches at the sole feed'alone is of course-effective irrespective of movement of the cams 58 and 68 in unison. However it is necessary not only to balance the stitches drawn by cams 24 and 26 but also to adjust the size stitches formed at the sole teed when different weights of yarn are used at that point in the formation of the high splice, heel, sole, ring toe, toe and loopers rounds. Furthermore it is necessary that the stitches at the sole feed be made of proper size relative to the stitches at the instep feed in the split portions of the stocking. Accordingly the cams 58 and 68 are adjustable in unison by the cams '78 onthe main cam disc. Three series of these may be provided, one set to take care of the proper formation of heel and toe and also ring toe and loopers rounds, a second set to take care of the high splice and a third set to take care of the sole. By this adjustment not only may the diflerent sets of yarn knit at the sole feed be properly manipulated but also the yarns knit there may be drawn to form the proper size loops required by the knitting conditions at the instep i'eed.

Adjustment of stitches at the instep feed to take care of various weights of yarn or yarns is effected by movement of the needle cylinder relative to the stitch cams under the action of the lever 86. This adjustment, however, is relatively simple since the only change of yarn normally occurringat the instep feed consists in the change from that forming the extended top to those forming the leg and instep...

It will be obvious that the actual tilting of the sinkers may take place at various times in the stitch formation either during or before the drawing of the loops by the needles. What, of course, is to be taken into consideration is the proper ultimate size of loop. Accordingly it is to be understood that references in the claims to tilting of sinkers at the location where needles Iorm stitches are intended to include tilting either during or subsequent to the drawing move-. ments of the needles.

The upward movements of the inner ends of the sinkers may be effected otherwise than by tilting. Where the elevation of sinkers is mentioned in the following claims it will be understood that upward movements of their inner ends are referred to.

What I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A circular knitting machine including a needle cylinder; a series oi independent needles carried by the needle cylinder; means for feeding yarn to the needles at a feed point; a series of cams associated with the feed point and arranged to produce lengthwise movements of needles during relative movements of the-needle cylinder and feed point, said series of cams including two stitch cams, one of which is arranged to lower needles to draw stitches when relative movement in one direction occurs, and

the other of which is arranged to lower needles to draw stitches when relative movement in the opposite direction occurs; sinkers associated with the needles; and means for adjustably changing the level of sinkers associated with needles at the locationwhere those needles form stitches by being lowered by at least one of said stitch cams, whereby the stitches formed at the feed point during relative movements in opposite directions may be balanced irrespective of difierences in depressions of needles effected by the two stitch cams.

2. A circular knitting machine including a needle cylinder; a series of independent needles carried by the needle cylinder; means for feeding yarn to the needles ata feed point; a series of cams associated with the feed point and arranged to produce lengthwise movements of needles during relative movements of the needle'cylinder and feed point, said seriesof cams including two stitch cams, one of which is arranged to lower needles to draw stitches when relative movement in one direction occurs, and the other of which is arranged to lower needles to draw stitches when relative movement in the opposite direction occurs; means for relatively axially moving the needle cylinder and cams to adjust the amount of depression of needles by the stitch cams; sinkers associated with the needles; and

means for adjustably changing the level of sinkers associated with needles at the location where those needles form stitches by being lowered by at least one of said stitch cams, whereby the stitches formed at the feed point during relative movements in opposite directions may be balanced irrespective of differences in depressions of needles effected by the two stitch cams.

3. A circular knitting machine including a needle cylinder; 9. series of independent needles carried by the needle cylinder; means for feeding 11 yarn to the needles at a feed point; two stitch cams associated with the feed point,'one 01' which is adapted to lower needles to draw stitches during relative movement of the needle cylinder and feed point in one direction, and the other of which is adapted to lower needles to draw stitches during relative movement of the needle cylinder and feed point in the opposite direction; sinkers associatedwith the needles, and

means for adjustably elevating sinkers at the needles and sinkers and the stitch cams and sinker elevating cams in first one direction and then the other whereby first one course of stitches is formed at one stitch cam and the next course 01' stitches is formed at the other stitch cam; and

means for relatively adjusting the sinker elevating cams to balance the stitches in the alternate courses.

5. A circular knitting machine including a needle cylinder; a series of independent needles carried'by the needle cylinder; means tor 1eeding yarn to the needles at a feed point; a series of cams associated with the feed vpoint and ar ranged to produce lengthwise movements of needles during relative movements of the needle cyl- 5 inder and feed point said series of cams including two stitch cams, one of which is arranged to lower needles to draw stitches when relative movement in one direction occurs,- and the other 01' which is arranged to lower needles to draw stitches when relative movement in the opposite. direction occurs sinkers associated with the needles; and means for automatically variably elevating sinkers associated with needles when those needles are ing yarn to the needles at a feed point; a series of cams associated with the feed point and arranged to produce lengthwise movements of needles during relative movements of the needle cylinder and feed point, said series of cams including two stitch cams, one of whichis arranged to lower needles to draw stitches when relative movement in' one direction occurs, and the other of which is arranged to lower needles to draw stitches when relative movement in the opposite direction occurs; sinkers associated with the needles; and means for automatically variably elevating sinkers associated with needles when those needles are being lowered by bothof said stitch cams, said means comprising two sinker elevating cams which are relatively adjustable; and pattern means for operating the sinker elevating cams in unison.

HAROLD E. HOUSEMAN. 

